


Hunter Gathering

by AlkalineChatter



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, Creepy Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Gen, No Plot/Plotless, Pre-Canon, Sensible Illumi, Skateboarding Killua, This is about Killua, We all love Killua
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26835946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlkalineChatter/pseuds/AlkalineChatter
Summary: While waiting for the Hunter exam to begin, Hisoka notices Killua Zoldyck.No plot; this is a character study of Killua, essentially an etude for me since I want to write HxH fanfiction but I need to practice writing the characters. Hisoka is creepy, Illumi is oddly sensible, Killua is perfection.Hope you'll enjoy nevertheless! <3
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	Hunter Gathering

Hisoka waits.

He has mastered the art of waiting.

Unfortunately, the candidates of the 287th Hunter exam provide no entertainment. No matter how much he tries to see a sparkle in any of them, he sees rookie crushers, naïve idiots, money-hungry magicians. No real fighters. Hisoka thinks back to his previous Hunter exam. While he failed, at least he met some interesting people who provided interesting fights before they died by his hand a bit later. Good times.

Finally, one candidate catches his eye. Candidate #99.

Other candidates look at #99 with a pitying look, clearly because he is a kid. They are morons. The kid is certainly extraordinary, but Hisoka has a hard time pinpointing why.

For starters, he looks like he was soaked in bleach. Everything about him looks so white, so washed-out… Almost uninteresting, really. That’s not the style Hisoka prefers; he thinks fighters ought to look unique and memorable. But no, Hisoka corrects himself. His eyes are really something. While the boy wears a blank stare, even his impassive gaze carries a degree of power, enough to keep other candidates from mocking his age. That pair of eyes does make #99 stand out the way a fighter should.

Hisoka reaches out to feel his aura. As expected, it is fickle and elusive; the boy hasn’t learned _Nen_ techniques. A pity; Hisoka would have been intrigued to learn his abilities or witness his style. A pity also because as much as Hisoka feels some respect towards this boy, he has no illusions about the upcoming tests. It would be a waste if #99 happened to perish during the exam.

 _A waste indeed._ Hisoka doesn’t like little boys going to waste.

“Yo, Hisoka.” 

Hisoka doesn’t need to turn to recognize Illumi, even when he is concealed. His aura has always felt pleasant to Hisoka, as if it was a face of a long-gone lover or a lost sibling. It is no surprise, then, that Hisoka sensed Illumi before he would’ve spoken.

“What’s your name?” Hisoka asks, just to figure out what alias Illumi is using and how he would like to be addressed.

“Gittarackur,” Illumi responds. “Why are you eyeing my little brother?”

_Oh._

“My, my,” Hisoka purrs in delight. “A Zoldyck, hm?”

“Killua Zoldyck,” Illumi confirms.

Now, as Hisoka looks at candidate #99 again, he feels shortsighted. Indeed, Killua’s hair – that particular shade of silver – is unmistakable. The blank but intense gaze… Hisoka doesn’t need to look at Illumi to know he wears the same look. Oh but this makes Killua so much more interesting, a Zoldyck through and through; his blankness now screams danger, screams threat. There is still something odd about him, though. Hisoka narrows his eyes at Killua practicing skateboard tricks.

Killua has practically no facial expression. 

Illumi does. Hisoka has seen Illumi redden in fury, smirk in confidence, eyes widen in curiosity. However, Killua doesn’t show any joy, confidence, or excitement, not even when he manages to get a skateboard trick just right. It is unnerving just how expressionless he is.

Hisoka is ready. He wants to know what’s under Killua’s façade. He wants to know more about this boy than he does about himself. He is ready to unwrap this boy and figure him out.

“Don’t touch him,” Illumi warns him, as if he was reading his thoughts.

Hisoka finally looks at Illumi. The Gittarackur appearance is, frankly, ugly; Hisoka is not a fan. He searches his eyes.

“Most candidates are no match for him. If he fails at their hands, he deserves nothing more,” Illumi explains the cold logic of the Zoldyck family. “You, however, know everything up his sleeve since I trained him myself. I’m here to take the exam, but I’m also here to protect him – mother’s wishes. So, don’t touch him.”

“A shame,” Hisoka grins slowly. “But I can respect it. He is a very interesting boy. I am curious to see him grow up.”

Illumi rolls his eyes. Hisoka is a nuisance sometimes; his imagination is far too well-developed for his own good. Imagination is a good thing, especially for Transmuters, Hisoka is the master of developing exquisitely creative techniques, but this light-headed ecstasy he gets from watching young talents grow is lost on Illumi.

The next moment, Killua looks at Hisoka. Straight in the eye. Hisoka can’t help but hold his gaze and smile at the boy. What’s impressive is not that Killua could sense his gaze – Hisoka considers himself extraordinary enough that he is used to being noticed – but the fact that Killua shows no sign of fear. Hisoka knows he is scary. His aura is hypnotic even to those who cannot see it; it rightfully makes people nervous.

Not Killua. His sapphire eyes, _they really are like sapphire, calling them blue would be an understatement,_ look at him thoughtfully, as if the boy was appraising him. Hisoka can’t decide whether this is insulting, cheeky or outright ridiculously humiliating coming from a little boy, but at the end of the day he loves it.

Hisoka’s yellow eyes narrow at Killua. _I dare you,_ his gaze says, _talk to me if you dare._

“No _Ren_ ,” Illumi interferes again.

“I’m not using any,” Hisoka objects with a slight whine in his voice.

“You aren’t, but bloodlust is leaking from your pores.” Illumi sounds bored. “Please show some courtesy to my family.”

“Yes, sir,” Hisoka bows in a mocking fashion. Illumi chuckles. Theatrical Hisoka is his favorite.

Hisoka then stands up and walks up to Killua Zoldyck. He secretly hopes that maybe Killua will finally succumb to distress – Hisoka stands intimidatingly close to him – but Killua simply picks up his skateboard and looks at him questioningly, as if Hisoka was a particularly annoying fly.

 _He is so insolent._ Hisoka feels giddy with anticipation.

“Is this your first Hunter exam?” he asks without greeting.

“Yeah,” Killua says. His voice is music to Hisoka’s ears. It is not as high-pitched as boys Killua’s age, and while it sounds bored, matching his face, Hisoka can detect a wary, uncomfortable undertone. The boy has fears of his own, and Hisoka cannot wait to make him face them. “What of it?”

“Ah, just wondering. I am Hisoka.”

“Killua,” the kid mutters. He is picking on the edge of his wooden skateboard, and he seems absolutely done with this conversation.

“Nice to meet you, Killua,” Hisoka smiles. _I honestly just wanted an excuse to say your name, Killua Zoldyck._ “Tell me… Are you prepared to kill during this exam?

“Sure, no problem,” he says again, his discomfort more palpable. Hisoka frowns. Is this kid really a Zoldyck? This is the first time Hisoka sees anyone from that family expressing a trace of discomfort at the idea of killing people. Killua is more and more interesting with each passing second.

“Do you know any skateboard tricks?” Killua changes the subject.

It is unsurprising that the boy is not interested in talking about killing. Illumi often drops that topic too, since it is a job at the end of the day, and he generally prefers to discuss his own interests instead. Hisoka supposes that Killua’s current biggest interest is skateboarding. That’s fine. It’s cute, even, and Hisoka likes cute boys with cute interests.

“No, but I know card tricks,” he humors Killua.

“Ah. That’s boring. Bye then!”

 _Why, you cheeky little thing._ Hisoka doesn’t remember the last time he was fuming and feeling delight at the same time. Killua rolled away on his skateboard as if he, Hisoka, was yet another boring adult. The boy’s lack of interest irks and offends him, but the fact that Killua had the nerves to do this only enhances Hisoka’s glee.

He walks back to Illumi who shoots him a meaningful look. “That was funny.”

“That is enough, Gittarackur,” he snaps at his comrade, who obediently clouds himself in silence.

_Killua Zoldyck. I promise you will find me intriguing soon._

**Author's Note:**

> As this was a practice / first time HxH fanfiction for me, so feedback is super welcome on the characterization! Thank you ;~;


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